Calendar electric timepiece

ABSTRACT

The present invention relates to a calendar electric timepiece.

[ 51 May 23, 1972 United States Patent Besson [54] CALENDAR ELECTRIC TIN E IE E 3,319,415 5/1967 Von Aesch et 3,427,798 2/1969 Rogers et a1. [72] Inventor: Rene Besson, Neuchatel, Switzerland 3,465,513 9/1969 Giger et al- 3,470,687 10/ 1969 Ono et a1. [73] Assrgnee. Ebauches S. A., Neuchatel, Switzerland 3,487,631 H1970 MOritamW-W [22] Filed: July 30, 1969 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS Switzerland 443,154 1/1968 [21] Appl. No.:

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data Aug. 30, 1968 Switzerland 131 1 l Primary Examiner-Stephen J. Tomsky Assistant ExaminerGeorge H. Miller, Jr.

Attorney-Kenwood Ross and Chester E. Flavin 5 SMS 5 NW 5 b5 Moo 3 1 m3 6 0o "5 l 8 j m r 3w J l d Ld .mF no 5 The present invention relates to a calendar electric timepiece.

1 Claim, 7 Drawing Figures References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,248,868 5/1966 Poloetal...................................58/58 PATENTEnmza m2 3,6641 19 INVENTOR.

Rene BESSON PATENTEDMM 23 I972 INVENTOR. I Rene BESSOH l w l BY W Q W mam CALENDAR ELECTRIC TIMEPIECE This timepiece is characterized by the fact that it comprises an hour-setting stem able to occupy three different axial positions, i.e. a rest position in which it is inoperative, a second position in which it actuates the hour indicating elements, and a third position in which it actuates the date indicator element in order to permit its setting, this stem controlling, by its axial displacements, directly or'by the intermediary of the settinglever, a lever carrying a wheel permanently meshing with a pinion slidably mounted on the stem, and which is, in its axial displacements, rigid with the lever, this wheel being idle when the stem occupies its rest position whilst being meshing, at least indirectly, with an element of the gear train driving the hour indicating elements when the stern occupies one of its two other axial positions, and with the date indicator element when the stern occupies the second of its two other axial positions.

The drawings show, by way of example, one embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 1 is a partial plan view of the clockwork of a calendar electric watch.

FIG. 2 and 3 are partial plan views of this clockwork in two other positions of the hour-setting stern.

FIG. 4, 5 and 6 are sectional views illustrating partially the clockwork in three positions of the hour-setting stern corresponding to those of FIG. 1, 2 and 3, respectively, and

FIG. 7 is an elevational view of a detail.

The driving and regulating mechanism of the watch has not been shown, being out of the scope of the invention. It comprises a deflection symmetrical resonator, the blades of which, designated by 1, are shown in cross-section in FIG. 4 to 6, and the oscillations of which are electrically maintained by means of an electric current source and of a transistorized maintenance circuit, not shown. This resonator drives, by the intermediary of a non-represented pawl and ratchet device, a counting-wheel 2 rigid with a pinion 3 meshing with the wheel 4 of an intermediary gear, the pinion 5 of which is meshing with the seconds wheel, located at the center, designated by 6.

It is to be noted that the pinion 3 of the counting-gear 2-3 freely traverses a tubular sleeve 7, secured to the base plate 8 of the movement, and which is provided with a lateral aperture through which passes the wheel 4 of the intermediary gear 4-5. This tubular sleeve 7 prevents any risk of deterioration of the counting-gear 2-3 during fitting of the movement. In fact, the counting-gear, when placed in its lower bearing, designated by 9, is supported by the sleeve 7, which permits an easy fitting of the gear-train bridge, designated by 10.

The driving of the minutes indicator is indirect to this end, the seconds wheel, at the center 6 is provided with a pinion 11 meshing with the wheel 12 of the third gear the pinion of which, designated by 13, is meshing with the wheel 14 of the minutes gear. The pinion thereof, designated by 15, meshes with the wheel 16 of the dial-train, the pinion 17 ofwhich is itself meshing with the hour wheel designated by 18.

The shaft lla of the seconds pinion 11 carries a sleeve 19 rigid with a wheel 20 provided with a groove against which a spring 21, acting as a brake, is bearing, preventing vacillations of the seconds hand, due to backlash or circumferential play of the gearing.

The connection between the third wheel 12 and its pinion 13 is ensured by a friction coupling comprising a collet 22, radially slotted, forced on a sleeve 13a of the pinion 13. The upper axial face of this collet has a tangential notch in which is engaged one of the edges, designated by 23a, of a frame shaped spring blade 23, (FIG. 7), the opposite edge of which, designated by 23b, bears (FIG. 4) on the axis, designated by 24, of the third gear.

This coupling has the advantage of producing a relatively weak couple. In fact, in comparison with a normal indenting, this coupling slides more easily, that is favorable in the case of an electric watch the counting mechanism of which only gives a much weaker retention than that produced by an escapement mechanism. Furthermore, this coupling only produces a very weak dispersion, i.e. a very small variation of couple between the different pieces of a series. It offers a large resistance to shocks and the shape of its spring is such that no torsion of this latter is produced, which could have the effect of provoking a return in reverse direction after the slidings, during the hour-setting operations.

The watch shown comprises a date indicating annular disc 25, having an inner toothing 26, rotatably mounted on the base plate 8, and which is step by step driven, at the rate of one step each 24 hours, by a non-represented mechanism which is out of the scope of this invention.

The setting stem, designated by 27, is slidably mounted on the base plate and is able to occupy three positions, Le. a rest or neutral position, in which it is entirely pushed in, represented in FIG. 1 and 4, where it is inoperative, another position, for setting the time indicators, where it is entirely pulled out, represented in FIG. 2 and 5, in which it permits operations on the hands of the watch in view of their setting, and still another position, intermediary, represented in FIG. 3 and 6, where it permits operation on the date annular disc for setting the calendar.

The mechanism which permits that these different functions be carried out comprises a lever 28 articulated at 29 on the base plate and submitted to the action of a spring 30 acting on a nose 28a of the lever and urging it to turn in the clockwise direction, seen from above, so as to move it towards the periphery of the movement. This lever carries, rotatably mounted on a trunnion 31 forced thereon, a five branches star-shaped wheel 32 rigid with a toothed wheel 33 meshing with a bevel pinion 34, slidably mounted on a portion 27a, of square section, of the stem 27. This pinion 34 partially traverses an opening 35 provided for this purpose in the lever 28; one part thereof, designated by 28b, is engaged in a groove 36 of the pinion 34. Thus, this latter is rigid with the lever 28 in its axial displacements.

A setting lever, designated by 37, is articulated at 38 on the base plate 8 and is submitted to the action of a jumper-spring 39, its finger 37a being engaged in a groove 40 of the stem 27. The described mechanism operates in the following manner: When the stern occupies its rest position, pushed in, represented in FIG. 1 and 4, a shoulder 27b of the stem maintains the lever 28, by the intermediary of the pinion 34, in an intermediary position in which the wheels 32 and 33, that it carries, are idle, not being meshing with any other element excepted the pinion 34 which drives them. Thus, in this position, the stem 27 is inoperative, being able to be rotated in one direction or the other without acting on any indicator element of the watch.

It is to be noted that when the stem 27 is entirely pushed in, its position is axially determined in an exact manner by the fact that the extremity of its terminal part, 270, abuts against the wall of a hole 41 provided in the base plate 8, perpendicular to the plane thereof, and in which a radial drilling 142 opens in which is located the stem. The position of the stem is thus determined in a very precise manner because the position of the wall of the hole can also be determined by a simple finishing operation.

If the stem 27 is pulled out to the maximum, to occupy the position represented in FIG. 2 and 5, the pullout piece 35 operates on a boss 28c of the lever 28 to displace this latter towards the center of the clockwork, against the action of its return spring 30, whereby the wheel 33 is brought to mesh with the pinion 13 of the medium mobile 12-13, so that operation of the stem 27 drives the hands by the intermediary of the square portion 270 of the stem 27, of the sliding pinion 34, of the wheel 33 and of the pinion 13. It is to be noted that, due to the previously disclosed friction coupling, the wheel 12 and consequently the driving and regulating mechanism do not practically undergo efforts during the manual hour setting.

When the stem 27 occupies the hour setting position, the circuit for maintenance of the oscillations of the tuning fork is interrupted, that causes the stopping of this latter. This locking of the circuit is carried out by short-circuiting the base and the emitter of its transistor, as is described in Swiss Patent application Ser. No. 5732/63 of the same applicant. To this end, the lever 28 has an ear 28d carrying a pin 42 moving in an elongated opening 43 of the base plate 8 and controlling the opening and the closing of an electric contact, not shown.

It is to be noted that the pin 42, by abuting against one or the other of the extremities of the opening 43, also serves as a stopping member for the lever.

When the stem 27 occupies an intermediary position between the two above mentioned positions, such as represented in FIG. 3 and 6, the lever 28 is again bearing against the shoulder 27b of the stem 27, by the intermediary of the pinion 34; the lever thus occupies its extreme position opposite to that described just above, in which the star-shaped wheel 32 is meshing with the inner toothing 26 of the date annular disc 25. The operation of the stem 27 thus permits a rapid actuation in one direction or the other of the date indicator 25, in view of the date setting.

It is also to be noted that the arrangement is such that the stem can be brought into the date setting position, starting from its locking position, without the necessity of making it to pass through the hour setting position. This arrangement has the advantage that the date setting is carried out without a risk of unsetting the hour indication.

What I claim is:

1. In a calendar electric timepiece:

a setting stem displaceable into a first inoperative rest axial position and a second axial position for operating the hour indicating elements and a third axial position for operating the date indicating element in the setting thereof,

a setting lever,

the setting stem controlling, by its axial displacements directly or through the intermediary of the setting-lever. a lever carrying a wheel permanently meshing with a pinion slidably mounted on the setting stem and which is rigid in its axial displacements, with the lever,

the wheel being idle when the setting stem occupies its rest position while it is meshing at least indirectly with an element of the gear train driving the hour indicating elements when the setting stem occupies one of its two other axial positions and with the date indicator element when the setting stem occupies the second of its two other axial positions,

a driving device including a counting wheel rotatably mounted between a base plate and a clockwork bridge, the base plate carrying a sleeve coaxial with the axis of the counting gear directed towards the bridge and in which the counting gear is freely engaged,

the sleeve being intended to support the gear and to prevent it from rocking during the placing of the bridge. 

1. In a calendar electric timepiece: a setting stem displaceable into a first inoperative rest axial position and a second axial position for operating the hour indicating elements and a third axial position for operating the date indicating element in the setting thereof, a setting lever, the setting stem controlling, by its axial displacements directly or through the intermediary of the setting-lever, a lever carrying a wheel permanently meshing with a pinion slidably mounted on the setting stem and which is rigid in its axial displacements, with the lever, the wheel being idle when the setting stem occupies its rest position while it is meshing at least indirectly with an element of the gear train driving the hour indicating elements when the setting stem occupies one of its two other axial positions and with the date indicator element when the setting stem occupies the second of its two other axial positions, a driving device including a counting wheel rotatably mounted between a base plate and a clockwork bridge, the base plate carrying a sleeve coaxial with the axis of the counting gear directed towards the bridge and in which the counting gear is freely engaged, the sleeve being intended to support the gear and to prevenT it from rocking during the placing of the bridge. 